Château Dassault 2023

Shows more depth than before—black cherry, dark berries, licorice, floral notes; compact on the palate, not overdone, fresher, juicier, and above all more elegant than in other years; has gained in precision.

72% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Lively red and dark fruit aromas. Juicy on the attack, mid-palate ample, then some structure and persistence. Lacks a bit of excitement but well executed. (JL)

The 2023 Dassault is rich, dense and explosive. Inky fruit, lavender, licorice, mocha and espresso race out of the glass. This sumptuous, opulent Saint-Émilion turned out beautifully. I would prefer to drink it on the early side while the fruit remains vibrant.

Espresso, mint, flowers, dark chocolate, and red fruit are already expressive in the aromatic profile. The palate is round, ripe, rich, and lush, with waves of sweet, ripe, deep fruits topped with chocolate and a blast of spicy, espresso that kicks in at the back of the finish. This is the first vintage with Thomas Duclos as the consultant at Chateau Dassault. The wine blends 73% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2027-2040.

Dark ruby, deep core, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Ripe plums and blackberries, dark cherries underneath, hints of candied orange zest. Juicy and elegant, finely fruity, a hint of figs, integrated tannins, good freshness, chocolatey finish; a full-bodied food wine with some ageing potential.

Open red-berry bouquet, thyme and strawberry jelly. On the rich palate, silky texture, tight-knit tannic framework, lively backbone and medium body. Focused aromatic finish with sour cherry juice and plum skin, paired with sandy astringency. Rounded.

Medium-plus intensity, with the powerful tannins of classified St Emilion, good quality, great depth, and it knows when to ease off at the right moment. Sage, fennel, black cherry, good quality, slate and cocoa bean; perhaps not the heights of 2022, and overall on the Right Bank you feel more of the challenges of the vintage, but this is very impressive and easy to recommend.

Score: 93–95. Indulgent like a kitchen on jam-making day, the nose blends aromas of raspberry and crushed strawberry, blackberry, and blackcurrant. Remarkably expressive, it draws you inexorably toward its core. The palate delivers on all the nose’s promises: generous dark fruit, an especially velvety texture, and a mouthwatering, tangy backbone that lingers long on the finish. A masterpiece.

The nose is beautifully fruity, generous, fresh, precise and focused. It reveals notes of fleshy raspberry, plump/juicy blackberry and, more lightly, violet, combined with touches of sweet blond tobacco and delicate hints of liquorice and varietal/subtly sappy notes. The palate is fruity, fresh and mineral, offering juiciness and generosity, with notes of juicy/explosive red fruits, violet, juicy/pulpy cherry and, more lightly, juicy/pulpy raspberry, combined with touches of star anise and sweet blond tobacco, as well as fine hints of juicy/fresh plum and cornflower. The tannins are finely mellow and generous.

Gently mulled plum and black cherry fruit is infused with black tea and incense, with the supple texture adding sneaky length through the fine-grained finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2036. 6,000 cases made, 300 cases imported.